User blog:Ugra Murda Kurma/Community Goddess full Incarnation of Compassion
KANNON BODHISATTVA, KANNON BOSATSU LORD OF COMPASSION, GODDESS OF MERCY Comes in Many Forms, Many Manifestations. Represented in Artwork as Male or Female. Assists People in Distress in Earthly Realm and in all Six Realms of Karmic Rebirth. One of Asia’s and Japan’s most beloved deities. Kannon worship remains non-denominational and widespread. *ORIGIN = India. Kannon personifies compassion and is one of the most widely worshipped divinities in Asia and Japan in both ancient and modern times. Kannon’s origins are unclear, but most scholars agree that Kannon worship began in India around the 1st or 2nd century AD and then spread to Southeast Asia, China, Korea, and most other Asian nations. Veneration of Kannon in Japan began in the late 6th century, soon after Buddhism reached Japan by way of Korea and China. In Japan, Kannon’s paradise is known asFudarakusen. It is commonly said to be located at the southern tip of India (which supports theories of Kannon’s Indian origin). Many Kannon statues from Japan’s Asuka Era (538 to 710) are still extant. Originally male in form, Kannon is now often portrayed as female in China, Japan, and other East Asian countries. Each of these nations dressed Kannon in different forms to suit their own temperaments and spiritual concepts. *TRANSLATION. Avalokitêśvara is a Sanskrit term, masculine in gender, that translates as Lord Who Regards All (avalokita = observe, iśvara = unimpeded). Īśvara, another name for Śiva, Mahêśvara, or Īśvaradeva(the king of the deva), is a likely component of the name Avalokitêśvara. The Sino-Japanese term Kannon 観音 (Chinese = Guānyīn) literally means watchful listening, and is often translated as “one who sees / hears all.” This is indeed the task of the compassionate Kannon — to witness and listen to the prayers and cries of those in difficulty in the earthly realm, and to help them achieve salvation. Another Japanese name for Kannon is Kanzeon 観世音, the one who constantly surveys (kan 観) the world (ze 世) listening for the sounds (on 音) of suffering. It was later shortened to Kannon. *SCRIPTURAL BASIS. Kannon is a Bodhisattva (Jp. = Bosatsu), one who achieves enlightenment but postpones Buddhahood until all can be saved. Kannon is mentioned in numerous Mahayana sutra (religious texts), especially the Lotus Sutra 法華経 (Hokekyō), which was translated into Chinese by Kumārajīva (Jp. = Kumarajū 鳩摩羅什, 350 - 410), who rendered Kannon’s name as “One Who Observes the Sounds of the World.” Kannon also appears in the Kegonkyō 華厳経 (Skt. = Avatamsaka Sutra) and Hannya Shingyō 般若心経 (Skt. = Prajnaparamita Sutra; Engish = Heart Sutra), as well as in scriptures of the pure land school like the Muryōju-kyō 無量寿経, and in tantric (esoteric) texts such as Jūichimen Kanzeon Shinju-kyō and Senju Sengen Darani-kyō. *MEMBER OF PURE LAND SECTS. Kannon is an active emanation of Amida Buddha, and thus s/he occupies a major place in the liturgy of Japan’s Pure Land (Jōdo 浄土) sects, whose principal deity of worship is Amida. InMahayana Buddhism throughout Asia, Kannon is the most important of Amida’s two main attendants (kyōji 脇侍). The other is Seishi Bosatsu. In Japan, the three appear in a popular grouping known as the Amida Sanzon (lit. = Amida Triad), with Amida in the center,Seishi (representing wisdom) on the right, and Kannon (representing compassion) on the left. See photo in adjacent sidebar. In another popular grouping known as the Amida Raigō (Amida’s Welcoming Descent), the three are typically shown atop clouds descending from above to welcome the souls of the dying -- those on their death bed who are faithfully chanting Amida’s nenbutsu 念仏 (a set phrase for praying to Amida which is “Namu Amida Butsu” 南無阿弥陀仏, meaning All HailAmida Buddha). Kannon is also one of 25 Bodhisattvawho descend from heaven with Amida to welcome dying souls into Amida’s Pure Land. In triad and other artwork, the top of Kannon's crown is often adorned with a small image of Amida (called a Kebutsu 化仏), symbolizing Kannon’s role as Amida’s principal attendant. Jizō Bosatsu, like Kannon, is one of Amida Buddha’s main attendants and, like Kannon, is one of the most popular modern deities in Japan’s Pure Land (Jōdo 浄土) sects. The two share many overlapping functions -- both protect the Six Realms of Karmic Rebirth (the Six Jizō, the Six Kannon), both are patrons of motherhood & children (the Koyasu Jizō, the Koyasu Kannon), and both protect the souls of aborted children (the Mizuko Jizō, the Mizuko Kannon). In some scriptures, they even share the same Ennichi 縁日 (Holy Day). The 18th day of each month is considered Kannon’s Ennichi. Jizō’sEnnichi is generally on the 24th, but at many temples it occurs on the 18th. *FEMININE VERSIONS. Although depicted with masculine features in the earliest representations, Kannon later appears with attributes of both genders and eventually becomes a symbol of the divine feminine, the divine mother in both China and Japan. Popular feminine versions in modern Japan include Koyasu Kannon (child giving), Jibo Kannon (loving mother), Gyoran Kannon(carrying fish basket), and others. Kannon’s Śakti isTara Bosatsu, who is sometimes depicted as Kannon’s wife; Śakti is Sankrit for “female personification or avatar of the male.” Feminized forms of Kannon also exist in Japan’s Christian and Shintō traditions, notablyMaria Kannon (Virgin Mary) and the Shintō Sun Goddess Amaterasu (often paired with Kannon in Japan’s Kami-Buddha matrix). *KANNON PILGRIMAGES. Kannon can appear in many different forms to save people. The Lotus Sutra (Hokekyō 法華経), one of the most popular Mahayanascriptures throughout Asia owing to its message that anyone, whether male or female, has the potential to attain Buddhahood, mentions 33 (thirty-three) formsthat Kannon assumes when aiding sentient beings. In modern Japan, Kannon’s 33 forms are the basis for hundreds of Kannon Pilgrimage Circuits. Among the best known are the Saigoku Pilgrimage to 33 sites (Kansai area), the Bandō Pilgrimage to 33 sites (Kantō area), and the Chichibu Pilgrimage to 34 sites (Saitama Valley). These three circuits cover 100 sites, and making the pilgrimage to each site in proper order is said to save the believer from hell and to open the gates to everlasting life. The Lotus Sutra is the scriptural basis for these pilgrimage circuits. *ESOTERIC KANNON FORMS. In addition to the 33 Forms of Kannon, this deity also comes in six salvific forms to save all sentient beings trapped in the Six Realms of Karmic Rebirth (the cycle of suffering, the cycle of samsara). Kannon is also one of the 13 Buddha 十三仏 (Jūsanbutsu) of Japan’s Shingon sect of Esoteric Buddhism (Mikkyō 密教) invoked in memorial services for the dead. In this role, Kannon presides over the memorial service held on the 100th day following one's death. *ENNICHI (Holy Day). The 18th day of each month is considered Kannon’s Ennichi 縁日, literally "related day" or “day of connection.” This is translated as holy day, one with special significance to a particular Buddha orBodhisattva. Saying prayers to the deity on this day is believed to bring greater merits and results than on regular days. Says the Digitial Dictionary of Buddhism(login = guest): “The deity is understood to be in special charge of mundane affairs on that day, e.g. the 5th isMiroku, 15th Amida, 25th Monju, 30th Shaka. According to popular belief, religious services held on such a day will have particular merit.” See Ennichi list for 30 Deities (Sanjūn Nichi Hibutsu 三十日秘仏; Japanese only). *MANDALA. In Japan’s Taizōkai Mandala, Kannon appears in esoteric forms in the Lotus Court (Rengebu-in 蓮華部院), which is also known as the Kannon Court (Kannon-in 観音院). These and other esoteric Kannon forms are classified into the Kannon-bu 観音部 (lit. = Kannon family). *Worshipped independently as a savior par excellence by many sects, including Japan’s Pure Land Sects (devoted to Amida), the Nichiren sect, the Zen sect, the Tendai and Shingon sects of Esoteric Buddhism, indeed, by nearly all Buddhist sects. Kannon worship is essentially non-denominational and widespread. *In Japan, numerous historical figures are considered emanations of Kannon, including Prince Shōtoku Taishi(Japan’s first great patron of Buddhism), Daruma (the founder of Zen Buddhism), and Chūjō Hime 中将姫 (a Buddhist nun regarded as one of Japan’s greatest early embroidery artists). To Tibetans, the current Dalai Lama is an incarnation of Kannon. The powerful protector deity Bishamonten (the lord of the north, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, and one of Japan’s Seven Lucky Gods) is also considered a manifestation of Kannon. SeeBishamon & Kannon at Kurama Dera (Kyoto). *Senju Kannon (aka the 1000-Armed Kannon) is the Guardian of People Born in the Zodiac Year of the Rat. *Buddhism for the Common Folk. The three deitiesAmida, Kannon, and Jizō, became especially popular among the common folk during the Kamakura Period (1185 - 1333 AD), and today remain the bedrock of Buddhism for the common folk. Amida for the coming life in paradise, Kannon for salvation in earthly life, and Jizō for salvation from hell. See From Court to Commoner Buddhism. *New forms of Kannon have emerged in modern Japan to deal with contemporary issues such asAlzheimers (dementia), with abortion, and with caring for deceased pets. Additionally, in recent decades, many giant effigies of Kannon have been erected to pray for world peace and to honor war veterans (those who died in war). http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/kannon.shtml FORMS OF KANNON IN JAPAN (arranged alphabetically) Kannon is one of Asia’s and Japan’s most beloved deities. Kannon worship remains non-denominational and widespread. S/he appears in countless forms throughout Japan to assist with all manner of earthly petitions and to protect all those trapped in the six realms of karmic rebirth, especially the human realm. Some of Japan’s innumerable Kannon emanations (both traditional and modern) include: . |} Batō Kannon 馬頭観音 Horse-Headed Kannon. Protector of Animals. Batō Kannon appears in the Mahāvairocana Sūtra (Jp. = Dainichikyō 大日經; composed sometime in the 6th / 7th century AD) and other tantric texts. He is thus a member of the esoteric pantheon. Batō is also one of the Six Kannon. In this latter role, Batō protects those reborn in the animal realm (chikushōdō 畜生道), a realm characterized by stupidity and servitude. Effigies of the Six Kannon began appearing in Japan in the early-mid 10th century onward and were prayed to for the welfare of the dead. The scriptural basis for the six can be traced back to a late 6th-century Tendai text from China, although Batō was not part of the original six but rather inserted some four centuries later. See Six Kannon for details. Batō Kannon is also one of the Myō-ō 明王 (Skt. = Vidyārāja), the warlike and wrathful deities of Esoteric Buddhism. In this role, the deity is known as Batō Myō-ō 馬頭明王 and included in a grouping known as the Hachidai Myō-ō 八大明王 (lit. Eight Great Myō-ō; Chn. = Bā Dà Míngwáng). In Japan, farmers pray to Batō Kannon for the safety and preservation of their horses and cattle. Batō Kannon is not only said to protect dumb animals, particularly those who labor for mankind, but extends those powers to protecting their spirits and bringing them ease and a happier life than they experienced while on earth. (Source: Myths and Legends of Japan, by F. Hadland Davis, 1913) In esoteric traditions, Batō Kannon appears in the Taizōkai (Womb World) Mandala in the Lotus Court (Rengebu-in 蓮華部院), also known as the Kannon-in 観音院. Says the Digital Dictionary of Buddhism (abridged; sign in with user name = guest): “In Japan, from the beginning of the Tokugawa period, steles of Batō Kannon were dedicated to a deceased horse, as attested by numerous roadside steles bearing its figure and the inscription 馬供養 uma kuyō. In the Japanese Shingon tradition, Batō Kannon is the strong protector of the bodhimaṇḍa (Skt. = awakening seat; the place where one attains enlightenment). Batō Kannon is invoked during the Jūhachidō 十八道 practice when closing the vajra net to seal the sacred space. Jūhachidō means eighteen paths. In the two mandala of the esoteric sects, each has nine principal objects of worship. Practitioners devote themselves to meditating on one of these eighteen each day. Says JAANUS (abridged): Batō Kannon. Kannon in an angry (funnu 忿怒) form. Batō is also considered to be the angry form of the Buddha Muryōju (Muryoju) 無量寿. He is distinguished by the white horse's head that he wears like a crown. The horse is one of the symbols of dominion of the "Ideal King" (Kyōryōrinjin 教令輪身 or Kyōryōjō-ō 教令聖王), known as Chakravartin in Sanskrit. There are many different forms of Batō having one to three faces and two to eight arms, and he holds different attributes in different images. In theKannon Section of the Taizōkai Mandala 胎蔵界曼荼羅, he has three faces and two arms, is red in color, and makes the komponin 根本印 hand gesture (mudra) in front of his chest. However, in art forms, he appears most commonly with three faces and eight arms. The cult of Batō appears not to have been as popular as those of the other esoteric Kannon, although it is recorded that an image of Batō was enshrined in Saidaiji Temple 西大寺 in Nara in the late 8th century. Batō is sometimes found in sets of the Six Kannon, but independent images dating from the Heian period (794-1185) are rare. Well-known examples dating from the Kamakura and Muromachi periods include the standing statues in Kanzeonji Temple 観世音寺 in Fukuoka prefecture and Jōruriji (Joruriji) Temple 浄瑠璃寺 in Kyoto, as well as the painted image of seated Batō in the Boston Museum of Art. In the Edo period (1600-1868), Batō came to be worshipped as a protector of horses due to his iconography and his role as savior of those in the realm of animals. Many remaining stone statues (sekibutsu 石仏) of Batō were once set in place to protect travelers and their horses from injury on dangerous paths. It is also thought that Batō became conflated with a folk horse deity believed to be the vehicle of a Shintō deity (kami 神) who rides between this world and the sacred realm. Because of this identification, he became the protector of horses and the Buddhist counterpart (honjibutsu 本地仏) of deities of common Komagata 駒形 (lit. "Horse-shaped") shrines, which are found all over Japan. . Says site contributor GABI. “By neighing like a horse, the deity wards off bad demons. She is especially honored by the horse breeders in northern Japan. Nowadays you even find bicycles in front of the many stone votive statues to Batō on waysides. There is also a version with the head of an ox (Gotō Kannon 牛頭観音) or a pig (Tontō Kannon 豚頭観音). There is also a special mudra for the horse-headed deity called the Batō Myō-in, Bakō-in (or makō-in) -- as quoted from Ashida and Hanayama.” http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/kannon.shtml |} Big Kannon Statues Gigantic effigies of Kannon are known as Dai-Kannon 大観音. Japan has always had a penchant for constructing massive statues (Daibutsu 大仏, lit. = Big Buddha). Dozens of Big Buddha statues have been erected in recent times (post WWII onward). Many of these recent additions were made largely for the goal of increasing tourism to certain Japanese localities, while others were erected to pray for world peace and the repose of the war dead. PHOTO: Ryōzen Kannon 霊山観音, Kyoto. Made with 500 tons of concrete with steel-rod frames, this giant effigy of the White-Robed Kannon was unveiled in 1955 to commemorate the soldiers who died in World War II and to pray for a peaceful Japan. The memorial’s own brochure is entitled “A Tribute to The Unknown Soldier, World War II.” Made by famous Showa-era sculptor Yamazaki Chōun 山崎朝雲 (1867 - 1954). NOTE: Ryōzen refers to Ryōju Sen 靈鷲山 (Skt. = Gṛdhrakūṭa-parvata). Translated into English as Vulture Peak or Eagle Mountain. A mountain site in modern-day Rājgīr (Bihār state, India) where the Buddha gave several sermons, including the beloved Lotus Sūtra so dear to Kannon devotees. http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/kannon.shtml |} Bokefuji Kannon 呆け封じ観音 Kannon who prevents dementia in the elderly. A modern form of Kannon. Writes scholar Mark R. Mullins: “Another new role for Kannon is connected to the ’graying’ of Japanese society and the increasing concerns of the elderly about growing old, fears of senile dementia (and Alzheimer's disease), and long illnesses followed by an unpleasant death. Kannon's powers have been expanded to include the ’suppression of senility’ (boke-fuji 呆け封じ), and s/he has become a central figure in Pokkuri-Dera ポックリ寺, or temples where the elderly -- those lacking adequate family support -- go to pray for a sudden or painless death. What distinguishes this Kannon from others are a pair of elderly male and female figures kneeling at its feet in a gesture of supplication. An entirely new medical role is thus being attributed to Kannon, who is here called the Kannon Who Heals or Prevents Senility (Bokefuji Kannon). It was not a monk-artisan who made this Kannon at the impulse of piety. Rather, it was produced by professional designers employed by a company in Japan's flourishing religious-goods industry.” A small temple in Kurayoshi (Ōhirayama, Konpira-In 大平山 金毘羅院) is famous for a Kannon statue that prevents dementia in the elderly. See Gabi Greve for details. http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/kannon.shtml |} Byakue Kannon 白衣観音 White-Robed Kannon. Also called Byakushozon 白処尊 or Byakue Kanjizaimo 白衣観自在母. One of 33 Kannon Forms. Prevents sickness and disaster, grants fertility and safe childbirth, and assists in raising children. Appears in various sutras. Part of the esoteric pantheon. Photo at Right: White-Robed Kannon in Ōfuna, Japan. Height = 29.39 meters. Work on this statue began in 1934, but the outbreak of WWII halted its construction, which began again after the war and was completed in 1961. The complex here contains stones from ground zero at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as this temple commemorates the souls of those who died in the atomic bomb attacks, and prays for permanent world peace. The temple holds a festival each September. DIRECTIONS: Found just outside Ōfuna Station (near Kamakura City) on the Yokosuka train line or Tokaido train line). Says JAANUS: In art, Byakue Kannon appears in three different forms: #As esoteric deity in Kannon section of Taizōkai Mandara #As one of Kannon’s 33 Forms #As white-robed figure sitting atop rock above water in the wilderness. A common form, apparently a Chinese invention of the Tang dynasty (618-907), although not explained in texts. In the fifth chapter of the Dainichikyō 大日経 (Skt. = Mahāvairocana Sūtra; a central text of Esoteric Buddhismcomposed sometime in the 6th / 7th century AD), it is said that Byakue Kannon resides within a white lotus; and in the tenth chapter, it is explained that whiteness represents the pure aspiration of enlightenment (bodaishin 菩提心) out of which the Buddha and Bodhisattva are born. Byakue thus becomes the source and lord of the Kannon section of theTaizōkai Mandara and may be called Kannon-mo 観音母 (Mother Kannon). In later Tantric Buddhism from India, Byakue Kannon is the consort of Amida 阿弥陀. It may be argued that this is a result of being considered as a symbol of the aspiration to enlightenment and the source of theBuddha and Bodhisattva in the Taizōkai Mandara. A persistent femininity clings to Byakue Kannon even though the figure is typically shown as male. Texts describe esoteric forms of Byakue Kannon with various attributes. According to written sources, at the time of retired Emperor Shirakawa 白河 (1053-1129), Byakue Kannon in the Shingonin 真言院 -- an Esoteric Buddhist hall within the imperial palace compound -- held a willow branch in one hand. This is thought to have originated from the fact that from the Tang dynasty (618-907) on, there appears to have been a ritual of offering Kannon a willow branch in a vase of pure water to ward off evil. The most common form, however, is known from Zen 禅 ink paintings of the Kamakura (1185-1333) andMuromachi periods (1392-1568). These were developed from full colored paintings of Kannon shown as aBodhisattva seated in Fudaraku 補陀落, as he appeared to Zenzai Dōji 善財童子 in his journey seeking truth, described in the Kegonkyō Sutra 華厳経 (Flower Garland Sutra; Skt. = Avatamsaka Sutra). This form of Kannon was popular in Zenink painting because its imagery was suitable to Zenpractice. According to the Zenrin Shōkisen 禅林象器箋, the main image of the novice hall in most Zen temples was a Byakue Kannon in Fudaraku, enshrined in a niche in the center of the hall facing south. Originally a sculpture, a painting was later used. Byakue Kannon is particularly familiar as the subject of the central painting of the famous Song dynasty triptych by Muqi (Jp: Mokkei 牧谿, fl. late 13c) at Daitokuji Temple 大徳寺 in Kyoto. The flanking paintings of the Muqi work are a crane (symbol of longevity) and a monkey, whereas in other triptychs they may be landscapes, flowers-and-birds, a fisherman and woodcutter (gyoshō mondō 漁樵問答) or Kanzan Jittoku 寒山拾得. In Muromachi period ink paintings, Yōryū Kannon 楊柳観音, Suigetsu Kannon 水月観音, and Takimi Kannon 滝見観音 are similar in their clothing and their setting in Kannon's wilderness paradise Fudaraku. http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/kannon.shtml Dōbutsu Shūgō Kannon 動物集合観音 Also known as Dōbutsu Kannon. A modern form of Kannon devoted to the care of suffering animals, one granting eternal rest to pets, one invoked in prayers for deceased pets at pet cemeteries. (Keywords = 動物供養, ペット供養, 人形供養, ぬいぐるみ供養). PHOTO: Dobutsu Kannon, Gifu Pref., Toki City The modern-day use of Kannon as a patron of dead pets is not surprising. There are numerous antecedents. Batō Kannon (Horse-Headed Kannon), for example, an esoteric savior of those reborn in the realm of animals, was already well-known among the common folk in the Tokugawa period, when numerous farmers prayed to Batō Kannon for the safety and preservation of their horses and cattle. Innumerable stone steles of Batō Kannon were erected in the Tokugawa and Edo periods, for this deity was intimately connected with protecting dumb animals, particularly those who labored for mankind, and with protecting their spirits and bringing them ease and a happier life than they experienced while on earth. Says scholar Mark R. Mullins in his article The Many Forms and Functions of Kannon in Japanese Religion and Culture: “Kannon has become a favorite comforting figure used by the numerous pet cemeteries that have been built across Japan over the past two decades. The Dobutsu Shugo Kannon is devoted to the care of suffering animals and offers eternal rest to the pets. Sanzen'in Temple in Toki City, Gifu Prefecture, one such example devoted to pets, explains that it offers pet owners ‘one last opportunity to express their love and gratitude’ through the services it offers. Another facility, the Meihan Pet Kannonji in Iga City, Mie Prefecture, was established in 1994, and provides similar services of cremation, a Kannon stone monument, and a priest conducting a memorial service. In addition to the services offered for pets at these specialized cemeteries and temples, it is also possible to purchase online a Pet Kannon for 12,600 yen (US$120), which has a standing image of Kannon with several pets at his/her feet. Charges for these services vary and depend on the size of the pet. Cats and small dogs cost thirty-five thousand yen US$330, while a larger husky or golden retriever costs fifty-five thousand yen US$520.” http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/kannon.shtml |} Esoteric Forms of Kannon in Japan Esoteric Buddhism originated in India sometime in the 6th century and then spread quickly throughout Asia. Avalokitêśvara (aka Kannon) was one of the first deities to be shown in esoteric forms in India and discussed in early esoteric texts. See, for example, Iconography of Amoghapāśa (Fukūkenjaku Kannon) by Ankur Barua and M.A. Basilio. Esoteric Buddhism wasn’t formally introduced to Japan until the early 9th century (see adjacent sidebar), but various esoteric forms of Kannon had already entered Japan (via China) during the 7th century. In Japan’s Taizōkai (Matrix) Mandala, Kannon appears in many esoteric forms in the Lotus Court (Rengebu-in 蓮華部院), which is also known as the Kannon Section (Kannon-in 観音院). For example, the six-armed Nyoirin Kannon appears here. This and other esoteric forms of Kannon belong to the Kannon family (Kannon-bu 観音部). See MANDALA pages for details. SAYS JAANUS: By the mid-8th century, texts about esoteric Kannon were available in Japan. The first known text dealing with Jūichimen (11-Headed) Kannon is the Jūichimen-kyō 十一面経 (733). In 753 the Fukūkenjaku Shinpen Shingon-kyō 不空羂索神変真言経, a major esoteric text that speaks ofDainichi Nyorai 大日如来 and first mentions Fudō Myō-ō 不動明王, enters Japanese records. Texts concerning Senju (1000-Armed) Kannon 千手観音, Nyoirin (Omnipotent) Kannon 如意輪観音 and Batō (Horse-Headed) Kannon 馬頭観音 date from the same time. Images of Kannon were made as part of Emperor Shōmu's 聖武 (701-56) effort to impose Buddhist structure on Japan. Temples dedicated to Kannon were founded, many following the apparition of the deity or the miraculous appearance of an image. A temple dedicated to Kannon was often built in a mountain, beside a rock formation, near a spring, or near some other remarkable landscape feature, suggesting that the site was already sacred and was adapted to Buddhist use. Stories of such images and temples abound among engi 縁起 (origin stories) and setsuwa 説話 (religious stories), and they found expression in accompanying paintings (shaji engi-e 社寺縁起絵). The mountain temples particularly were considered sites of Kannon's paradise Fudaraku, fully Japanizing the deity, just as Putoshan 普陀山 in Zhejiang had been revered in China. Varieties of practice connected with belief in Kannon (Kannon Shinkou 観音信仰) were introduced, including the practice of group confession. http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/kannon.shtml Female or Male? Feminized Forms of Kannon |} In Japan, four of the most common feminized forms of Kannon, all related to motherhood, are Koyasu Kannon 子安観音 (safe childbirth),Juntei Kannon 准胝観音 (pure one, mother of all Buddhist divinities),Jibo Kannon 慈母観音 (loving mother), and Mizuko Kuyō Kannon 水子供養観音 (patron of departed souls, especially children lost to miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion). These four are today venerated as patrons of easy delivery and child rearing. See Patrons of Motherhood for other deities associated with women and children. Other female forms of Kannon include the Fish-Basket Kannon and the White-Robed Kannon. There is also Maria Kannon, a Christianized form used by outlawed Christians to hide their faith. In Western nations, Kannon is most commonly known as the “Goddess of Mercy.” The Male Goddess? Kannon is considered male in the Buddhist traditions of India, Tibet, and Southeast Asia. But in China and Japan (less so in Japan), starting around the 11th - 12th centuries, Kannon was commonly portrayed as female (for reasons not easily explained or understood). In Japan, the male form predominates in sculpture and art, although female manifestations of Kannon are nonetheless plentiful. Indeed, a persistent femininity clings to Kannon imagery in both pre-modern and modern Japan. In Japan, Kannon’s identification with the needs of women, mothers, and children emerged in the Heian period (9th to 12th centuries) with the growing popularity of the Lotus Sutra 法華経 (Hokekyō), one of the most beloved Mahayana scriptures throughout Asia owing to its message that anyone, whether male or female, could attainBuddhahood. The 25th chapter is popularly called the Kannon Sutra (Jp. Kannon-kyō 觀音経) and often treated as an independent text. In orthodox Buddhism, only males could achieve Buddhahood -- females could not unless they were first reborn into manhood (a higher state in the cycle of transmigration). In Japan, this transformation is known as Henjō Nanshi (変成男子), or "changing into a man." It was one of the five obstacles (Jp. = Goshō 五障) to enlightenment, and according to orthodox Buddhist texts all Buddha vow to change all pious women into men. This teaching lost much of its bite with the widespread popularity of the Lotus Sutra among women of the Japanese court during the Heian period. In the 12th chapter (Devadatta) of the Lotus Sutra, the daughter of Dragon King Sagara attains enlightenment at the young age of eight, illustrating the universal possibility of Buddhahood for both men and women. Japanese ladies of the Heian court thus turned to the worship of the Lotus Sutra to ensure their salvation. The Lotus Sutra also said Kannon could assume any form whatsoever to relieve suffering (see 33 Forms of Kannon). It also attributed Kannon with the power to grant children. Kannon’s feminine forms in Japan are clearly compatible with Japanese religious sensibilities. Unlike Buddhism, whose deities are generally genderless or male, Japan’s Shintō tradition has long revered the female element. The emperor of Japan, even today, claims direct decent from Amaterasu (the supreme Shintō Sun Goddess), so it seems only natural that Kannon was given feminine attributes. Says scholar John Nelson: “Kannon has been so widely dispersed in Japanese culture, like the air one breathes, she has become part of the social and cultural landscape in ways that transcend sectarian doctrine." Nelsonalso says: “Perhaps we are limiting the possibilities by thinking of Kannon as a specifically Buddhist deity. Surely it makes as much sense in the context of the Japanese religious culture to see her role as similar to that of a Shinto kami -- specific to the situations of any place and its people, and attentive to sincere petitions." In Shintōart (Shintō Bijutsu 神道美術), Jūichimen Kannon is a common choice as the Honjibutsu 本地仏 (Buddhist counterpart) of female Shintō deities(kami 神). Indeed, Jūichimen Kannon is one of the two most common choices as Honjibutsu to Shintō Sun Goddess Amaterasu 天照 (the other is Dainichi Buddha). As the teachings of the Lotus Sutra gained a wider audience in both China and Japan, effigies of Kannon in female form began appearing with regularity (those associated closely with the virtues of compassion, gentleness, purity of heart, and motherhood). Extant statuary offers compelling evidence of this sex change. In early Japanese Buddhism, the concept of venerating a female statue would have been unthinkable. But by the 11th or 12th century, in both China and Japan, statues of Kannon clearly portray the male deity as female. Note: Among Buddhist art historians, gender is not typically an issue. Statues are primarily portrayed as asexual or genderless. The artisans of Japan's classical Buddhist statuary carved the faces, bodies, and robes (drapery) in ways that transcended male and female forms, in ways that avoided stressing a male persona. Nonetheless, the orthodox view (much weakened) is that all Buddha and Bodhisattva are male. One indication -- many Buddhist statues in Japan sport mustaches. I have long wondered why old statues, clearly feminine in form, are portrayed with a mustache. Apparently, this was intentional and meant to emphasize the absence of sexual identity. If you click the image of Senju Kanno shown at the right, a close look will reveal the “goddess” has a mustache. Much later, in the mid-17th century, outlawed Japanese Christians (mostly in the Nagasaki area) created statues of the Virgin Mary (Mother of Jesus) disguised as the Buddhist deity Kannon (Goddess of Mercy). These images, called Maria Kannon マリア観音, were made or altered to look like Kannon, but they were not worshipped as Kannon. A Christian cross was sometimes hidden within the image. This did not arouse much suspicion, for Kannon (as described in Buddhist scripture) can appear in many different forms, both male and female. http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/kannon.shtml |} Fudarakusen 補陀落山 In Japan, Kannon's paradise is known as Fudarakusen (or Fudarakusan), literally “Mt. Fudaraku.” Fudaraku is the Japanese transliteration of Sanskrit Potalaka. It is commonly thought to be an island-mountain paradise located near the southern tip of India, which suggests that Kannon originated in southern India. In Japanese statuary and painting, Kannon is sometimes shown sitting atop an octagonal island-mountain or atop a rock. This is meant to symbolize the Fudarakusen holy land. Says the Digitial Dictionary of Buddhism about Kannon’s paradise: #A sea-port on the Indus, the παταλα of the ancients, identified by some with Thaṭtha, said to be the ancient home of Śākyamuni's ancestors. #A mountain south-east of Malakūṭa, reputed as the home of Avalokitêśvara. #The island of Pu-t'o 普陀山, east of Ningpo, the Avalokitêśvara centre (in China). #The Lhasa Potala in Tibet; the seat of the Dalai Lama, an incarnation of Avalokitêśvara; Transliteration of the Sanskrit Potalaka. Although the mountain is thought to be mythical, Xuánzàng (602-664 AD; a noted translator of Sanskrit into Chinese) attempts to locate it at the southern end of the Indian subcontinent in his Record of Travels to Western Lands ''大唐西域記 (Jp. = Dai tōsaiikiki). Outside India, the name of Potala / Potalaka came to be used widely to indicate Avalokitêśvara's sacred space. This is also the traditional mountain residence of (Skt.) Potala Bodhisattva. The Kegon-kyō 華厳経 (Skt. = Avatamsaka Sutra; Flower Garland Sutra) and various other early texts refer to Kannon's paradise as a verdant land of bliss located somewhere in the southern oceans near India. The Kegon-kyō was first translated into Chinese around 420 AD, with a second translation around 699. The teachings and texts of the Kegon school were introduced to Japan around +736 by the Chinese monk Tao Hsuan, and helped spark belief in Kannon’s Fudaraku paradise. Many old holy mountain sites associated with Kannon and Fudaraku exist in both China and Japan -- in particular Mt. Bǔtuó 普陀山 on the Chinese isles of Zhou-shan 舟山群嶋 (Jp. = Shūzanrettō) and amidst Japan’s sacred Kumano 熊野 mountain range. For a list of Japanese sites associated with Fudaraku, see Wikipedia (J-Site only). In addition, various Japanese religious ceremonies devoted to Kannon require pratitioners to face south while making supplications (need to give example). Says JAANUS: “Faith in the Fudaraku paradise in Japan is illustrated in paintings known as Fudaraku Raigō-zu 補陀落来迎図, which show Kannon coming to welcome believers to Fudarakusen. The island of Potala is the chief center of Avalokitêśvara worship, where s/he is the protector of all in distress, especially of those who go to sea.” For more on Fudaraku, see Temple Myths and the Popularization of Kannon Pilgrimage in Japan, by Mark W. MacWilliams. Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 1997 24/3-4. Writes MacWilliams: *"In Japan, the belief that temple sites either resembled or actually were Fudaraku was widespread. One of the earliest of these was Nachi-dera (Seiganto-ji 序渡寺), the first temple of the Saikoku Kannon pilgrimage in the twelfth century (page 388).” *“As the eastern gate of Kannon's paradise throughout the later medieval period, Nachi-dera served as point of disembarkation for the many boat crossings (tokai 渡海）to Mount Fudaraku. Fudaraku Shinkō faith spread to the Kanto area with the migration of Shugendō mountain Buddhist ascetics from both the Honzan and Tōzan branches of Shugendō, who were centered in the Kinai region (page 388).” *“Fudaraku itself has rich symbolic associations etymologically, mythically, and ritually with boats (page 389)." Although MacWilliams (see above) mentions that Nachi-dera served as the point of disembarkation for the boat crossing to Mt. Fudaraku, longtime Japan-based scholar John Dougill believes this is wrong. Instead, says Dougill, "the nearby temple of Fudarakusan-ji 補陀洛山寺 was the actual place where people departed by boat for the southern seas, never to return. There is a noticeboard at the temple saying that twenty boats departed from here between the Heian and Edo periods. The monks who set off on these suicide missions apparently carried petitions from others to deliver to Fudaraku." See Dougill's report here. Dougill adds this: “Was Fudarakusan-ji actually a part of the Nachi-dera complex in former times? To find out, I phoned the head priest at Fudarakusan-ji, who told me the temple is an independent entity. In bygone days, it was the head monk of Fudarakusan-ji who sailed away in the boat when he reached the age of sixty. Fudarakusan-ji, according to the monk, has nothing formally to do with Nachi-dera (aka Nachi Taisha, aka Seiganto-ji).” Fudarakusan-ji was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 2004. The boat journey (in a vessel called Tokaibune 渡海船 or “boat to cross the sea”) was a form of self-sacrifice aimed at the salvation of the common people. According to the Fudarakusan-ji entry at SacredJapan.com, "the abbots of this temple set out to sea on a small rudderless boat when they turned sixty years old. This practice was called ''Fudaraku Tokai ''補陀洛渡海 and is one of the ''Shashin Gyō 捨身行 trainings in which priests performed an act of self-sacrifice for the purpose of human salvation. People entrusted the priests to carry their prayers for happiness and enlightenment to Fudaraku (Potala in Sanskrit) Island, Kannon's Paradise, which was said to lie somewhere off the southern coast." Category:Blog posts